Copywriting
Which type of copywriter do you need? Here are 7 kinds: 1. The Creative Cracker (Creative Copywriter) Creative copywriters have the magical gift of being able to communicate memorable ideas with memorable, effective phrases. From consumer ad-land, where they’re paid...
Copywriting
The best formats for storytelling to get your message across No matter the industry, everyone is in the business of storytelling. Whether you’re a marketer, company director or small business owner, your ability to tell engaging and captivating stories is key to...
Copywriting
Copywriting for engineering companies As an engineer, you know that precision and attention to detail are essential. The same is true for copywriting. Whether you’re writing website copy, brochures, or email campaigns, your goal is to engage and inspire your...
Marketing
10 things to look for in a fulfilment service provider You may know what a fulfilment service provider does or how they work. However, do you know what to look for when choosing the perfect fulfilment service provider for your business? Regardless of the size of your...
Marketing
How Do Fulfilment Centres Work? Fulfilment centres are third-party logistics providers (3PL) that handle, process and ship products. Fulfilment centres deal with the logistics required to fulfil a customer’s order. This eliminates the need for in-house...
Growing a business, Marketing
What is a Fulfilment Company? What is a Fulfilment Company? …An order has just come through, what happens next? Fulfilment… but what does this actually mean? In the broadest sense, order fulfilment is everything that happens between a customer placing and receiving an...
Copywriting, Marketing, traditional-marketing
Improving your website copy Effective promotion of your business on the web Copy is important to the success of your business. It can drive customers and increase profits through convincing text that promotes actions, meaningfully engaging with audiences on their...
Copywriting, Marketing, traditional-marketing
Pick a channel you can execute well and run with it: Digital Marketing for SMEs When it comes to marketing, the days of getting away with only offline strategies are long gone. A company needs a digital presence in order for their customers and potential clients...
Copywriting, Marketing, traditional-marketing
The Qualities of A Good Copywriter When it comes to marketing, not everyone can write a strong headline or motivate their readers with the content of an article. That’s where copywriting comes in – this type of writing drives growth for businesses....
Copywriting, Marketing, traditional-marketing
Conversion copywriting: Is it the missing ingredient in your business? Welcome to the most important piece of content you will ever read. It’s not hype and you won’t regret spending five minutes learning about the magic this type of writing can bring to your business....
Copywriting, Marketing, traditional-marketing
How professional copywriting powers business growth You can’t put exceptional copywriting into words. Identify your brand’s voice and use it like never before. Your customers will be left speechless if you strongly nail your copy. Crafty word usage actually reduces...
Copywriting, Marketing, traditional-marketing
Creating a voice for website copy If you want to establish a voice for your brand, it’s important that the tone is consistent. The written word governs what we say and how we say things – it’s crucial in all forms of communication from text messages on mobile...
Copywriting, Marketing, traditional-marketing
The research a Freelance Copywriter does Thorough research is a vital part of writing good copy. The research skills, knowledge and experience of a great freelance copywriter help to really improve selling success. When this is coupled with an understanding of your...
communicating-your-message, Marketing
Website Strategy With more and more businesses struggling, it is essential to have an effective website strategy. Gone are the days when you could just put up some content without an effective design or user experience. Today’s consumers are more digitally savvy...
communicating-your-message, Marketing
Traditional Marketing In the rush to ‘go digital’ in today’s world, some areas of traditional marketing have been left behind, but then so have some markets and customers. Sometimes, the ‘old ways’ are still the best for communicating and gaining attention. Younger...
communicating-your-message, Marketing
Digital Marketing There are many forms a business can communicate its message … BUT, with the average person being subject to over 1,000 different messages how do you cut through all the noise. That’s where digital marketing plays a pivotal role for all businesses....
exhibitions-events, Marketing
Making the most out of exhibitions and trade shows It is essential to have a good “system” when you are attending exhibitions and trade shows, especially ensuring an efficient follow-ups system. It just takes a little pre-thought and planning as you would...
Marketing, selling skills
Sales Closing Techniques Sales closing techniques are used (normally) at the end of a sales conversation or following a sales process. At this point in the discussion, there’s really no point being timid or being frightened of using a closing technique as you’ve...
Marketing, selling skills
Selling Skills: Using questioning techniques to ask great questions – and listen! What kind of salesperson are you? Are you the order taker waiting for someone to ask if they can buy something, the product pusher who talks about nothing more than the product, the...
Marketing, selling skills
Creating & Building Rapport… The Fundamental Element of Sales Success It’s fair to say that creating and building rapport has become somewhat of a buzzphrase thrown around in advice articles of late, but that doesn’t make it any less of a fundamental element of...
Marketing, selling skills
Stand out from the crowd with “old fashioned” selling techniques There seems to have been a surge in digital marketing workshops this last few years, teaching us how to ‘use’ social media to grow our business. Digital marketing is important – but it’s just one...
Marketing, selling skills
From prospect to buying customer: how to work your sales funnel Conventional theory is that selling is only for people known as “salespeople”. But the truth is that all business owners are salespeople. We are in the business of selling. If we can’t sell our product or...
brochures-leaflets-signage, Marketing
Business Stationery & the Perfect Business Card The printed image should still be an integral part of any company’s marketing strategy, whether that is a leaflet, a booklet or a business card. Over the past few years computers and the Internet have largely negated...
brochures-leaflets-signage, Marketing
Printing Materials for Your Business Print in Marketing How many time has someone in your office said: “Hey, look at this!” when you receive an unusual or nicely printed piece of printed material? Certainly every now and then I would estimate. How many times has...
brochures-leaflets-signage, Marketing
How to Ruin Your Company Image So you turn up at your networking meeting and head for the members information table. And there it is! Along with all those professionally produced leaflets, business cards, tiny roller banners and professional displays sits the...
email-marketing, Marketing
When is spam not spam? Clearly we’re not talking tinned meat here! Spam emails are a pain in the neck – they fill up inboxes, waste time, overrun servers and irritate the recipients. No one wants to receive spam emails and none of us admit to opening them. But what if...
Marketing, professional-photography
Why amazing photos are essential for startups “Start as you mean to go on” can be applied to most things whether you are starting a business, building a relationship or doing pretty much anything else in life. Creating that first impression with professional...
Marketing, professional-photography
I hate having my photo taken, I’m not photogenic These two phrases are the most common things that a professional photographer hears from people, not just those running businesses but in fact nearly everyone. The secret to enjoying having your photo taken is to trust...
Marketing, professional-photography
What’s the difference between a headshot and personal branding photography? A headshot is a photo that looks like you as you are now, making you look friendly and approachable with just a hint of your personality showing. If you think about what you can actually...
Marketing, professional-photography
Why a single photo shoot can produce multiple outputs It’s all in the planning. If you know exactly what you need to shoot, why you’re shooting, what type of photos you need, what you need them for, what style you want, who your ideal client is, then you’ll achieve so...
Marketing, professional-photography
What makes a great business portrait? A business portrait photograph must be clear, simple, have a suitable background and be consistent with the other portraits of staff or colleagues in the company. How do you achieve this? The most important consideration for...
Marketing, professional-photography
What makes a great corporate LinkedIn photo? A LinkedIn headshot is there to showcase you and your business, so you need it to speak to your customers before you even meet them. The first thing to make sure is that you have your image there, there are still so many...
Marketing, professional-photography
What’s the difference between DIY Photography and Professional? Have you ever eaten an amazing meal at your favourite restaurant and thought, how hard can it be? Yet no matter how closely you follow the recipe, and how many celebrity chef videos you watch, it just...
Marketing, website-strategy
What are landing pages and how to make them work Websites have followed a general rule of thumb for the last 25 years – make them like a brochure, explain in detail about your business, your products/service, explain why people should choose you and provide visitors...
Marketing, website-strategy
Hosting Your Website and Emails For almost any business their emails and their website are the lifeblood of their organisation and the cornerstone of their marketing. So it should be obvious that a lot of thought would go into choosing the right hosting provider for...
Marketing, website-strategy
Picking and Buying Your Domain Name Choosing a domain name can be an agonising task. There are myriad domain names to pick from ranging from extremely specific to more generic; that is if you can find one that is available still! In the recent past it was important...
Marketing, website-strategy
Your Mobile Strategy – Why start-ups will live or die by it Over the last four years, ownership of smartphones in the UK has leapt from 52 per cent to 83 per cent of the population. It’s a trend replicated across the globe and figures rise even further for younger...
Marketing, website-strategy
E-commerce Implications You’ve got a product you want to sell and everyone’s doing this online now so it must be easy, right? In fact, most people who are in this position seem to think that in order to sell their product all they need is an e-commerce website to sell...
Marketing, website-strategy
What Kind of Website Your business has to have a website, right? It’s become an assumption in the modern world that if you’re in business and you’re serious, you’ll have a website. So, most businesses accept they need a website … but what kind of website? Elsewhere on...
Marketing, website-strategy
DIY or Professional Website? You can’t watch a video on YouTube without seeing other adverts for various suppliers of DIY websites (such as Wix, SquareSpace, 123-Reg, MailChimp and many more) and they make it look so easy. So, is building a website yourself a good...
Marketing, website-strategy
Writing Content for Your Website Great content is the key to a great website. We always recommend getting an experienced copywriter to do this for you because they know how to write well, know what is needed from a website and give a viewpoint from outside of your...
Marketing, website-strategy
Lead Magnet Websites – What should you give away for free on your website? Selling is hard. It takes time. A first-time visitor to your website is unlikely to want to buy your product or service. And if they leave your website, they are unlikely to return. So, what...
Marketing, website-strategy
How to Write a Great Blog If you’re reading this, chances are you’re considering starting a blog. Congratulations! Blogging is a fantastic way to build an audience, share your expertise, and establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry. But...
communicating-your-message, Marketing
Marketing Your Website Marketing your website can be a daunting task. There are many different methods you could use, such as social media and pay-per-click advertising to name just two of the most common ones out there. PPC campaigns have been proven time after time...
Marketing, search-engine-optimisation
Writing your content for SEO optimisation and authority Quality content offers a whole host of benefits for your online presence. From reinforcing your branding and tone of voice, to educating your audience and adding credibility, there are many reasons why you should...
Marketing, search-engine-optimisation
SEO Trends following the Covid-19 Lockdown Covid-19 continues to have a huge impact on the world we live in today. It has changed almost every aspect of our lives – from the way we work and socialise to the way we entertain ourselves and shop. Businesses continue to...
Marketing, search-engine-optimisation
Making Your Site SEO Mobile Friendly Page speed really matters to web users, which is why Google has always taken it into account within its desktop search rankings. Since July 2018 however, it has also strongly factored into Google’s mobile search rankings as part of...
Marketing, search-engine-optimisation
8 tips to improve your local SEO rankings Search engines operate globally … but it’s normal for customers to want to buy from a local supplier and there are local SEO techniques that can help your search results when there’s a local prospective customer looking...
Marketing, search-engine-optimisation
SEO techniques to avoid From the start of the internet, website owners have wanted to be ‘number 1’ in the listings of a search engine. Guess what search engines want? … to deliver the best search responses to provide value to the users. SEO techniques to avoid So,...
Marketing, search-engine-optimisation
SEO techniques that deliver results It’s important that you understand the three core areas that contribute towards Google reviewing, indexing and listing your site, these are covered in detail below … visible, technical and backlinks … but just remember, if you’re...
Marketing, search-engine-optimisation
How to measure online search volumes using the Google Keyword Tool The modern world ‘assumes’ that everyone turns to Google when they need something but this isn’t necessarily true. There is a wide array of platforms consumers can use from Google, YouTube through to...
linkedin-success, Marketing
Building an incredible LinkedIn Profile Here, we present a step-by-step article on how to write a LinkedIn Profile that will get you noticed, reward you with new connections and will build your credibility. Editors Note: Expert content needs an expert content writer...
linkedin-success, Marketing
Playing the LinkedIn “Long Game” In this article, we explain some ideas on how Playing the LinkedIn “Long Game” can result in massive benefits to your business, nurturing and pulling prospects to you and your business when the time is right for...
linkedin-success, Marketing
How to make LinkedIn work as an amazing lead-generating tool! Many of us are frustrated that we don’t know how to make LinkedIn work and add value to our business. In this article, we explain a simple-to-follow process that drives connections and sales messages...
digital-marketing, Marketing
How video can help you and your business These days, people are watching more video and film content than ever before. The world has changed massively over the past few years and content marketing is on the rise, with video right out in front. It’s almost certainly...
digital-marketing, Marketing
How to run a really successful online advertising campaign If you’re considering advertising your business on a host website (such as the Yorkshire Powerhouse website) then you need to take every effort to maximise the results you achieve. This article focuses on...
digital-marketing, Marketing
Using Social Media to market your business There is one simple fact facing SMEs today – your business needs a social media presence. No matter what sort of business you are, social media has to be an essential tactic of your marketing strategy. It’s a cost-effective,...
digital-marketing, Marketing
Pay-Per-Click Marketing Campaigns or Search Engine Marketing (SEM) An Introduction to PPC Advertising If you are seeing advertisements appear alongside search results on Google and other search engines, then you are already familiar with pay-per-click marketing (PPC)....
digital-marketing, Marketing
3 Pillars of Search Engine Optimisation – an overview There are 3 key areas of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) that businesses should focus their efforts on. With the continuous updates and Algorithm changes from Google, these three strands remain constant and are...
digital-marketing, Marketing
Email Marketing We constantly hear this: “I get loads of spam every day, I just delete it without reading it.” When you consider all the ‘spam’ that appears in your inbox every day, it’s easy to think there’s no chance that any email your company sends out will get...
digital-marketing, Marketing
Understanding customers & gaining feedback with digital marketing In a previous article, we have stressed the importance of getting to know your customers which, of course, sounds like stating the obvious. But we are constantly amazed at how many companies fail to...
digital-marketing, Marketing
Digital Strategy – an ongoing battle A digital strategy is an ongoing battle! Whether it’s Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, email, pay-per-click, SEO … the one thing that all digital channels have in common is that they are all regularly updating with latest...
digital-marketing, Marketing
Digital Marketing is hard work! The last few years has seen the ‘Business as usual’ standard raised for an organisation’s digital marketing plan. The game has moved on. The time has gone where a company can assume that its brand and customer loyalty will be enough in...
digital-marketing, Marketing
How to get a digital marketing strategy badly wrong Digital Marketing is the new medium in which users communicate and consume content, therefore making it incredibly valuable for businesses wanting to get a message or products across to their consumers. However, to...
digital-marketing, Marketing
FREE Tools to improve your own Content The problem with Content Creation! In the digitally connected world, creating content for your marketing is a never-ending task that hangs over many of us as a perpetual task. The demand for continually posting social updates,...
Marketing, pay-per-click-marketing
A Glossary of Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Buzzwords Utilising a Google (or Bing) pay-per-click (PPC) campaign can help you achieve the goals of your marketing strategy by reaching your ideal customers so use our PPC Glossary to help your understanding of the subject. In...
Marketing, pay-per-click-marketing
What is ‘Quality Score’ on a pay-per-click campaign and why is it important? What is quality score? It is a numeric score measured out of ‘10’ awarded by Google based on the relevance and connection between your keywords, advert text and landing pages. Essentially, it...
Marketing, pay-per-click-marketing
The Future of PPC Pay-Per-Click advertising is becoming increasingly competitive. Advertisers are under constant pressure to spend their budget efficiently and maximise their Return on Investment. But, with new PPC strategies and opportunities emerging all the time,...
Marketing, pay-per-click-marketing
PPC and the Pandemic – finding a ‘New Normal’ As we all know, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every corner of the business world, along with advertising budgets and how they are spent. Facebook and Google, the two big names in digital advertising are expected to...
Marketing, pay-per-click-marketing
Top Tips for Optimising Google Ads Target the right shopper at the right time by learning how to optimise Google Ads. PPC management increases a retailer’s chance of making a sale and ensures they are doing it for the smallest amount of money. Here’s a quick overview...
Marketing, pay-per-click-marketing
Google PPC Text Ads and Ad Extensions What are Google PPC Text Ads? Text ads offer an opportunity for retailers to promote goods and services via placements on the Google Network. This network is made up of Google sites, partner websites, and other digital services,...
Marketing, pay-per-click-marketing
Google Shopping Ads: An Introduction What is Google Shopping? Comparison shopping engines give retailers the opportunity to attract new customers, increase sales and compete directly against other online merchants. These engines collect and display product information...
Marketing, pay-per-click-marketing
How to do Keyword Research and Planning for Google Ads Keyword research and planning is the essential foundation to a successful Pay Per Click (PPC) campaign on Google Ads. Effective preparation helps you to maximise your budget and return on investment. This might...
Marketing, using-video
5 ways to keep costs down when creating a professional video for business We are living in challenging times. Which means it’s all the more important to keep a check on business running costs. We also know the importance of staying competitive in business and that...
Marketing, using-video
How to ‘give life’ to a big lump of stone I recently took a gruelling, ten-hour drive to the very north of Scotland, near John O’Groats, as part of a project to promote a particular type of stone. Doesn’t sound very exciting, does it? Stone, in itself, is much like...
Marketing, using-video
Video options – which kind of video is right for my business? There are so many ways that video can help promote and grow your business. What’s right for you depends entirely on the business you have. So, here’s a simple guide to your video options 1. If you want to...
Marketing, using-video
How do I create a video to differentiate myself from my competitors? Before even thinking about video, ask yourself a few questions. Start by getting under the skin of your brand. Ask yourself, “What do I do?” “Who do I do it for?” and “What makes me and my business...
Marketing, Your Brand
Advertising & Graphic Design – the AIDA principles Advertising; the FOUR main principles you need to consider … OK, it’s that time where you need to create adverts for your business, either a press advert or even digital adverts to run online across your social...
Marketing, Your Brand
Designing Your Brand … the look and feel of it all When designing your brand, consider the following elements to achieve the right look and feel … 1: Choice of Typefaces (or fonts): There are 2 main types to choose from: Serif (like TIMES NEW ROMAN, quite old...
Marketing, traditional-marketing
The power of a hand written note Sometimes, it’s the personal touch that builds confidence, trust and respect. By taking the time and effort to make a short hand written note, you are genuinely displaying a commitment to them that you care and value them. In the ‘old...
Marketing, traditional-marketing
Telephone Marketing / Selling The thought of getting on the ‘phone and generating leads or making sales is an onerous one to most. However, telephone marketing is generally worth doing and when done well can be very successful. As with all things in business, if you...
Copywriting, Marketing, traditional-marketing
The Benefits of Using a (Super) Freelance Copywriter for your Copywriting needs The benefits of using a freelance copywriter are monumental. The value of your business will be increased by the work that they produce. Your customer retention rates will soar, and you’ll...
Marketing, traditional-marketing
PR / Public Relations Public Relations is the way you can communicate to your target audience via media, whether that is through printed or digital media. It is the activity you do to create and maintain goodwill and a positive image of your brand. It is an effective...
Marketing, traditional-marketing
Exhibitions & Events Exhibiting your business at exhibitions or events is often an excellent route to meeting new prospects and growing your pipeline of enquiries. However, attending a show is often a serious investment in both time and expense so you need to...
Marketing, traditional-marketing
Networking & Word of Mouth It is the norm for most businesses to cite client referrals, networking and ‘word-of-mouth’ as an important factor in winning new business. However, it is very rare for a business to have a strategy and framework to influence these...
Marketing, traditional-marketing
Direct Mail More than 60% of UK adults think that physical mail is serious, valued and a professional means of communication (compared to less than 20% thinking the same of email!). In the modern world, direct mail seems to have been forgotten at the expense...
Marketing, traditional-marketing
Brochures / Leaflets / Signage In the modern world, the internet is changing the way businesses market themselves. However, you should remember that ‘old school’ marketing channels still work, are still often essential and should still be considered – depending on...
Marketing, traditional-marketing
Advertising & Directories Being found when someone’s looking for your product or service is a great achievement … ensuring your adverts and directory listings catch the eye is essential. In the modern world, the internet is changing the way businesses are sought...
Marketing
Product Development & Service Improvement If you want to start a business it is likely that you have a product or service in mind that you want to sell. You’ve done your market research, you’ve identified your customer and you know how to market it. Things change...
Marketing
Communicating Your Message This first task is to define your core customer message. This should resonate and ‘speak’ to your customers and should pull them to you. As part of your core business planning, your message should be reflected within your ethos and...
Marketing
Understanding the process of selling when in business Commonly taught techniques such as “features and benefits” or “relationship” selling are outclassed by trusted advisors who employ consultative and strategic methods. Even when our competition offers the same...
Marketing
Why is it so important to have Professional Photography? First impressions count! What do your customers think when they see your website? Do they see a business brand that is proud of their products, driven by quality and trustworthy? What do the photographs in your...
Marketing
Getting to the Heart of Your Brand Building and Enhancing a Brand: A Guide for UK Small Business Owners Introduction: In the dynamic landscape of UK business, establishing a strong brand is essential for small business owners. The brand you build is more than just a...
advertising-directories, Marketing
Radio advertising – the original social media Without advertising, a terrible thing happens… NOTHING! If you’ve something to say, say it using the original Social Media; RADIO! Radio Advertising is all about ‘what you say’ X ‘how many times you say it’. Local radio...
advertising-directories, Marketing
Why does advertising work? Advertising is a marketing activity that has been with us for a long time. But with modern, digital platforms (including Yorkshire Powerhouse!) now offering an ever-increasing number of places and ways to advertise, and with some traditional...
Marketing, social-media
Facebook Likes vs Facebook Follows For this guide, we will be talking about pages rather than personal profiles. Just in case you aren’t sure what these are, the main differences are that a personal profile represents a person on Facebook and can send, receive and...
Marketing, social-media
How Do I Make The Most of Social Media Marketing? If you’ve done some research and created a plan, chosen your platform, and started posting some quality, engaging and consistent content, then you’re already on the right track. Like anything, it takes time to start...
Marketing, social-media
What Makes Good Social Media Content? Social media is by nature a visual medium and most platforms have been created on the basis of sharing images and video. They’re packaged in handy mobile apps that we carry everywhere with us on our mobiles and tablets, and we can...
Marketing, social-media
Which Social Media Platform? The Best of the rest of other Social Platforms The other main platforms to consider are Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. Each has its own pros and cons, and advantages and disadvantages which you need to consider. For example,...
Marketing, social-media
Which Social Media Platform? The Top Three Each social media platform is different, with a different feel and different users, and so whilst many companies are on lots of platforms, it’s a good idea to start by picking the one that suits you and your company most and...
Marketing, social-media
Social Growth Planning – a strategy to grow your business If you want growth, you need social Today, innovation isn’t optional, its expected, by customers, employees, shareholders and new markets you are trying to enter. If you want customer engagement, you need...
Marketing, social-media
Getting Started with Social Media You have to start with an objective – what do you want to get out of it, leads, sales, more traffic. Once you know what you want to get out of social media you can draw up a strategic plan for how you are going to achieve the...
Marketing, networking-word-of-mouth-events
Top Networking tips to help you get the most from networking meetings This article is for both new and experienced networkers alike. We all need an occasional reminder of how to succeed at a networking event because it’s genuinely hard to do right! These networking...
Marketing, networking-word-of-mouth-events
How to conquer your nerves when pitching your business to a networking group Face to face business networking works, it always has. The more you do it the better you’ll become. Your personal network of business connections will grow, you’ll meet new people and you’ve...
Marketing, networking-word-of-mouth-events
How to make your first Zoom call a success If you’re new to Zoom then you’re probably uncomfortable about the combination of ‘complicated technology’ and the ability to make a mess of things whilst being seen by others! BUT – using Zoom can be an eye-opener to many... 
